Unaizah (Arabic: عنيزة‎ ʿUnaizah) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; Arabic: محافظة عنيزة‎ Muḥāfiẓat ʿUnaizah) is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al Qassim Province. It lies south of the province capital Buraydah and north of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest city in Al-Qassim Province with a population of 163,729 (2010 census).[1][2]

Historically, Unaizah was an important stopping point for Muslim pilgrims coming from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia (now Iran) on their way to Makkah. Many scientists and historians believe that Unaizah was inhabited hundreds of years before the spread of Islam, citing its reference in numerous poems from some of the most important poets of pre-Islamic Arabia such as Imru Al-Qais.

Unaizah is in the south of Al-Qassim Province and at the heart of the historical region of Najd. It is located roughly 30 kilometers from Buraydah (the capital of the province) and more than 300 kilometers north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Unaizah lies in the northern-central region of the Najd and to the south of the Wadi Al Rumma (Rumma Valley), which is the longest valley on the Arabian peninsula. It is surrounded by sand dunes to its north and west, which are known locally as the Al-Ghamis Sands. The Al-Ghadha Woods are located to the north of the city.Next to Unaizah is the Al-Aushaziyah salt lake (or Sabkha), which is considered an official part of the city.

Unaizah has a typical desert climate. Its winters are cold and semi-rainy, and its summers are hot, aneroid summers with low humidity. The summer weather of Unaizah is sometimes described as balmy to nearby farms that surround the city. So with this kind of weather Unaizah got famous as one of the biggest city for planting dates.

Leeks (kurrat) are a very important part of the local culture of Unaizah. They are popular among the locals and comprise a significant portion of the local agricultural industry.

The 4th annual Date Season Festival was held in September 2008, giving Unaizah the distinction of hosting the largest date festival in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The festival rivals the date festival of neighboring Buraydah's, which is sometimes known as "Buraydah, the City of Dates".[3]

Unaizah's 4th annual Date Festival was known as the "Unaizah International Date Festival", though the city's title "Unaizah, the Kingdom of Dates" was retained as a motto. Many people from deterrent places of the Middle East come to see this festival and buy dates because they know there is a good quality of dates.

One of the first cities to embrace female education in Al-Qassim Province and Najd was Unaizah. It faced resistance from neighboring provinces and brought Unaizah at the forefront of a national debate. After lengthy negotiations, the capital city of Qassim, Buraidah a sister city of Unaizah, officially recognized the right of an education for females, partly due to King Abdulaziz's interference in settling the dispute.[6]

Today, there are many public schools in Unaizah for all three educational levels (primary, intermediate, and secondary). There are also two private schools and one private international school. There is also a boys' technological secondary school in the city and a technological college, as well as a girls' educational college. Qassim University is located approximately 30 kilometers north of the city, and enrolls both males and females. In addition, there is a new university will open soon "Unaizah University", and it will help Unaizah to grow fast. Also it will decrease the numbers of accidents because the closest university is Qassim University and the road is bad.[7]

The people of Unaizah are well known for their hospitality and acceptance for people from other races and religions. The famous Charles Montagu Doughty lived in the city during his odyssey and wrote highly about the city.

Amin al-Rihani (the famous Franco-Lebanese scholar and traveler) spoke highly of the city's architecture and works of art in his book "Kings of Arabia" likening it to Paris thereby coining the nickname "Paris of Najd" for the city.[8]

There are three hotels in Unaizah, one of which is currently under construction, in addition to the rentalapartments and suites distributed all around the city:

Al Fahd Crown (under construction).

Oasis Hotel.

Onaizah Hotel.

Although Unaizah is thought to be relatively more accepting of visitors than its neighbors, its tourism industry faces criticism for a number of reasons. One such criticism is its disregard for infrastructure maintenance.[10]

Unaizah is very active in terms of sports. Football is the most popular sport all over Saudi Arabia, and it is very popular in Unaizah, it is played in school's P.E. (i.e. Physical Education) lessons, and it is common to see a group of kids playing it in the streets.

There are two local clubs in Unaizah, the Saudi Al Najmah club, and the Al Arabi club.

H.E. Ebraheem Alsuleiman (Al Akeel), major contributor to the structuring of the Saudi Arabian Royal Court. Former chief of the Crown Prince's Royal Court, of then Crown Prince Faisal, during the reign of King Saud. Then former Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of Egypt

Eng. Yusef Al-Bassam, President of the Saudi Development Fund (International Aid).

Unaizah made national headlines during the last 60 years because of its pioneering spirit. This city takes pride in the fact that it produced pioneers and experts in many professions, top poets, ambassadors, national civil servants and businessmen more than most Saudi cities. The first non-governmental literary society/club in the kingdom was established in Unaizah in 1953, and in 1921, the first public school in Najed was established. Unaizah is well known for its hospitality, hence, there are a variety of tourism Festivals in the year. These include dates, and healthy crops festivals. There is also a bi-annual cultural festival which is a trademark for this city. It was the only city of the Najd region to invite a Saudi Shiite cleric to speak in a public event, in a grass-roots effort to promote a united national identity. This drew criticism from conservatives in neighboring cities.[citation needed]